Did Mark Duggan shoot at police?

Fresh questions raised after reports that bullet found in officer’s radio was police issue

08/08/2011 11:28 AM

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KILLED: Mark Duggan

SPECULATION THAT the man shot dead by police in Tottenham, north London, did not open fire on cops has intensified after the bullet found lodged in an officer’s radio was said to be police issue.

Initial reports had claimed that father of five, Mark Duggan, fired the first shot at officers after they pulled him over in Tottenham, north London last Thursday (Aug 4), but The Guardian newspaper has since quoted a source saying initial tests suggest the bullet was police issue.

The 29-year-old received two fatal bullet wounds in a pre-planned operation to arrest him.

The sting had been organised in partnership with Trident, the Met’s special unit for investigating gun crime within the black community.

The IPCC has said it would not comment on this until all ballistics and forensic tests were complete - but it has confirmed a non-police issue gun was found at the scene.

Mr Duggan's death led to rioting and looting on Tottenham High Road, north London on Saturday night (Aug 6). Police cars and local shops were burned down after a peaceful protest calling for answers into the killing of Mr Duggan, were not forthcoming.

In actions not believed to be connected to the earlier peaceful protest, some rioters pelted the police with bottles and lit fireworks.

On Sunday, Mr Duggan's brother Shaun Hall said the family was "devastated" by his death and dismissed as "utter rubbish" the allegations he had shot at police.

Mr Hall also said the family did not condone the riots looting that rocked their local area.

"It seems to be the press who are generally saying that it is linked to my brother," he said.

"Okay, some questions were supposed to have been answered, they weren't answered, therefore there was a domino effect from that [but] we don't condone that at all.

"I know people are frustrated, they're angry out there at the moment, but I would say please try and hold it down.
"Please don't make this about my brother's life, he was a good man."

Posted on: 08/08/2011 11:28 AM

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